NYC LGBT and Gay Rights Organizations to Protest and Call For Boycott of Sponsors and Attendees of Multi-Million Dollar Boxing Match

NEW YORK – (April 7) – Brooklyn Community Pride Center Executive Director Floyd Rumohr and officials from New York City-based LGBT organizations will hold a press conference to announce a national and local boycott of sponsors and viewers of this weekend’s pro boxing match featuring welterweight Manny Pacquiao over his remarks about the LGBT community. He was quoted as saying gay people were “worse than animals” and later read a bible verse that suggested gay people should be put to death. The press conference and rally is being held on Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 11:00 am, POSH Bar & Lounge, 405 W. 51 St. (bet. 9th and 10th Avenues) in Manhattan. Randy Jones, a member of the 1970’s legendary group The Village People and gay rights advocate will be speaking at the press conference.

The advocacy groups will be joined by NYC human rights activist Jean Shafiroff, author of a new book that features a section on Manny Pacquiao’s philanthropy, which will be torn out at the press conference. LGBT groups are calling for New York and National sponsors to pull their support for the match. Pacquiao is an international hero in the sports world. Pacquiao has made a fortune by endorsing products and brands ranging from motorcycles, car batteries, pizza, beer, banks and real estate. The fight is expected to generate multi-millions in revenue and draw hundreds of millions of viewers world-wide. Posh Bar & Lounge, which is hosting the the rally, is joining other gay sports bars in refusing to show the pay-per view telecast.

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